Man wanted in assault on trooper found in Pa.

By Melissa Steele | Aug 14, 2013

Source: Delaware State PoliceDarrell R. Putnam

The Milford man wanted in connection with stealing a safe from a car dealership and assaulting a police officer was arrested Aug. 13 by Downington, Pa., police. He will be extradited to Delaware to face charges, police say.

Darrell R. Putnam, 26, is being held in a Chester County Detention Center pending his extradition, said Master Cpl. Gary Fournier of the Delaware State Police.

Police say Putnam stole a safe from Hertrich Nissan on South DuPont Highway north of Milford early morning Aug. 11, and injured a trooper after she tried to stop him from driving away, Fournier said.

Fournier said Putnam drove directly at the trooper, struck the driver's side door and pinned her left foot in between the door and the frame. The trooper was taken to Kent General Hospital where she was treated for a fractured left foot.

Putnam continued to drive recklessly through the car dealership parking lot and struck two cars before fleeing the area, Fournier said.

Upon investigating the incident, Fournier said, police discovered Putnam had climbed through a car dealership window and removed a safe.

The safe, however, fell out of Putnam's car as he was fleeing the parking lot, Fournier said.